Sacha Baron Cohen has been cast as Eli Cohen in Netflix’s upcoming drama The Spy, a spokesperson for the streaming service said Wednesday.
Written and directed by Gideon Raff, the six-episode limited series will center around the legendary Israeli spy, who operated for the country out of Syria in the early 1960s. He managed to embed himself into Syrian high society and rise through the ranks of their politics. His actions, connections and immense sacrifice have had lasting consequences, shaping the Middle East of today.
The Spy will mark Cohen’s first regular TV series role since he got his start creating and starring in Da Ali G Show for Channel 4 in the U.K. — and then HBO in the U.S. — over a decade ago. Some of Cohen’s characters from the series got their own breakout films, including the critically-acclaimed Borat, which earned him an Academy Award nomination. His other movie credits include Bruno, Les Miserables, The Dictator, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
